Concordia's captain defends actions in face of criminal charges
The captain of a cruise ship which overturned off the coast of Italy has blamed faulty charts for the mishap. Three persons have been killed with seventeen others reported missing.
The luxury cruise ship, Costa Concordia, ran aground and capsized off the coast of Italy.
As rescuers search for some seventeen people still missing, authorities have set their sights on the ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, and have charged him with manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning his vessel prematurely.
On Sunday he defended his actions, saying the ship's navigation system missed the rocky outcrop that felled the vessel.
The ship was less than 300 meters from shore when it hit the rocks, prompting criticisms from residents of a nearby town.
Schettino denied allegations he abandoned the ship early - pointing to the fact that almost all of the Costa Concordia's 4200 passengers and crew were saved.
The Costa Concordia, meanwhile, remains on its side and local officials are now worried it may leak fuel into the pristine waters of southern Italy.
